Why Stumble is the Best New Comedy You’re Not Watching

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You really should check out Stumble if you haven’t already! This new NBC sitcom, which started on November 7th, 2025, follows cheer coach Courteney Potter (played by Jenn Lyon) as she navigates a difficult time in her life. She loses her job at Sammy Davis Sr. Junior College after being caught partying with her cheerleaders.

Courteney quickly landed a new job as head coach at Headlston State Junior College, though repeating past successes won’t be easy. The show Stumble is just as deserving of attention and praise as popular, feel-good sitcoms like Abbott Elementary, and its 80% rating on Rotten Tomatoes confirms it’s a quality program.

The New Cheerleading Comedy Stumble Has Been A Pleasant Surprise

Honestly, I didn’t expect much from a cheerleading-focused show. After the CW’s Hellcats flopped a few years back, I figured anything similar was destined to fail. But Stumble totally surprised me – it’s genuinely witty and really well done.

The show is memorable thanks to its unique characters. Two standouts are Madonna, played by Arianna Davis, who battles narcolepsy while trying to be a cheerleader, and Tammy, played by Kristin Chenoweth, whose name ‘Istiny’ is a playful nod to her short height.

Chenoweth consistently brings energy to her roles, and she plays the assistant coach with a delightful mix of excitement and scheming – pretending to be upset about Courteney’s firing while secretly hoping to become head coach.

The show Stumble feels genuine and relatable, not silly, largely due to the influence of its executive producer, Monica Aldama. The show’s creators, Jeff and Liz Astrof, were inspired to create a sitcom after watching the Netflix documentary Cheer, which features Coach Monica and her cheerleading team at Navarro College.

Jeff suggested to the Los Angeles Times a reality show concept where Monica coaches cheerleaders at the lowest-ranked college in the country. Although Monica’s team members are generally more skilled than Courteney’s (with the exception of Anissa Borrego and Krystal, who have professional experience), both the real-life and fictional coaches face challenges, highlighting the high-pressure environment of college cheerleading.

Unlike shows with weak storylines that quickly lose interest, Stumble offers some genuine surprises – for example, when Krystal twists her ankle in the first episode. Hopefully, the rest of the season will continue to be unpredictable and build on the strong development of Courteney’s character. She’s easy to support, even after just two episodes, because she’s resilient and doesn’t wallow in self-pity.

Why Stumble Is A Stand-Out Comedy

“Stumble” is a funny and fresh comedy that stands out because it adds real depth to the mockumentary style. Unlike shows like “The Office,” where the humor is often lighthearted, “Stumble” presents situations with more significant consequences, making it more engaging.

You know, watching ‘The Office,’ it always felt like those guys were just…there. They didn’t seem to really care about their jobs. But Courteney? She’s different. She’s got so much riding on this! If her team doesn’t win, it’s not just a loss for them, it could seriously damage her career – something she genuinely loves. It’s way more intense for her than anything Michael Scott ever dealt with, honestly.

The mockumentary formula works particularly well when Courteney’s husband, Boon E. Potter (Taran Killam), shares his backstory in the pilot. Rather than simply explaining that a head injury ended his football career, which is why he’s a coach now, he tells the camera he had to learn to speak again and hilariously forgets the word for “talk.“

He then jokingly asks if he mentioned his injury to the audience – a funny moment because he literally just did. The show emphasizes the seriousness of head injuries in sports, so the joke works while also showing how difficult things have been for Boon.

This comedy is enjoyable for everyone, even if you’re not familiar with the Bring It On movies. While it features cheerleading – with all the flips, hard work, and ambition that entails – at its heart, the show explores relatable themes like pursuing your goals, believing in yourself, navigating relationships, and bouncing back from setbacks. That’s why Stumble is a must-watch for any fan of TV comedies.

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2025-11-19 23:30